Life is just a bowl of cherries for this fruitarian couple.
Ayelet Alfasia and Dima Gaysinski swear by the fruitarian diet, which consists of only fruits and vegetables with occasional nuts and seeds, so much so that they claim their vision has improved, they no longer have cavities in their teeth and have no body odor — despite rarely bathing.
“Fruitarianism provides true health, in an extensive perception,” Gaysinski, 20, said, noting he lost 33 pounds without any effort by eating only fruit.
In fact, the Israeli naturalists vowed not to use anything non-natural, including soap; embrace a nudist lifestyle when they can; eat only fruit, leaves and nuts that they picked themselves — “Simplicity is the key” — and strictly drink water from clean streams and fountains “that are considered to be cleaner and healthier than tap water or mineral water.”
Alfasia, 23, said the lifestyle’s benefits to their health have proven more fruitful than eating purely for enjoyment.
“Some people may think it is restrictive, boring, maybe just not diverse enough but as we got into it, we realized it was always tasty, interesting, and colorful,” she said. “Eating mainly raw fruits felt right.”
The couple, who moved to an ecological farm that grows mangos, claim being fruitarians has given them more energy and motivation, prevents bloating and digestion problems, allowed injuries to heal faster and eliminated body odor and bad breath.
“Everything we do is fundamentally meant to be as natural as possible,” Alfasia told Media Drum. “Simple meals, simple clothes, simple communication, simple living. We don’t need much.”
Gaysinski, who was formerly on a vegan diet, claimed his vision has drastically improved and he rarely wears glasses anymore despite having prescription lenses since he was 16.
“It has affected our health a great deal,” Alfasia said. “Some cavities began to close and heal. Injuries heal faster and more efficiently. We feel light, even after eating big volumes. We don’t feel tired, heavy, blurry or bloated like we did after we ate cooked foods. No digestion problems at all.”
Regardless of the fact they rid soap from their lives — Gaysinski said he only washes his hands a few times a year while Alfasia rid of body wash and hand soap three years ago — they said their B.O. has “disappeared.”
“We began to like our smell more,” she added.
Alfasia said the changes were visible once she became a fruitarian — and others took notice. She said she felt happier and friends commented that she was smiling more and asked what changed in her life.
Her journey into fruitarian exploration began after “accidentally” stumbling upon a Facebook group promoting the “lifestyle,” she said.
“I read some posts about this nutrition and the explanations made sense — keeping it simple, eating foods in their original form,” said Alfasia, who was also previously vegan.
She reasoned that it’s “unnecessary for people to spend so much time dealing with their food — cooking it, cleaning piles of dishes and going to restaurants” when they could be “just grabbing fruit that is already perfect as it is and ready to eat.”
“Nowadays people are eating because it gives them pleasure, because of traditions and holidays, family events and friendly gatherings,” she said. “Eating foods that are not suitable for us and eating for the wrong reasons is harmful over time.”
One obstacle, though, was explaining the strict diet to her family, who believed she was putting her nutrition at risk. The Cleveland Clinic has labeled the fruitarian diet “one of the most restrictive diets out there” and as “dangerous” and does not recommend or endorse it.
“But being a fruitarian isn’t just about what we eat, it’s a whole lifestyle,” Alfasia explained. “Overall, it means being attentive to our bodies and having a good connection with our essence.”
For them, that means in addition to food, they opt for daily happiness, Alfasia said, which includes “choosing to do only fulfilling and enjoyable things and avoiding actions or activities that make you suffer or waste your time.”
They also practice a “naturalist life,” which means they walk around naked as much as possible — and buck society’s thoughts on nudism.
“We take off our clothes as much as we can,” Alfasia said.
“For some people, it seems weird, but for us, it seems weird to cover and hide our bodies. After all, people and other animals are born without clothes and covers and none of them has anything to be ashamed of.”
